Homemade Buttermilk Spaetzle is one of those side dishes that sounds a little more complicated than it actually is. Traditional spaetzle recipes often call for a special spaetzle maker, or involve pushing a sticky batter through a colander or box grater into a pot of boiling water. This version skips all of that fuss and mess. The batter goes straight into a piping bag, gets piped into simmering water, and cooks in just a few minutes!
Once the spaetzle are cooked, I toss them in nutty brown butter with fresh parsley and lemon. The result is tender, slightly chewy little dumplings with plenty of buttery flavor and a bright finish. It’s an easy side dish that feels special enough for a dinner party but is simple enough to make on a weeknight.
I love serving this easy spaetzle up with my traditional crispy pork schnitzel or my chicken schnitzel for a lighter summer version!
Table of contents
What is Spaetzle?
Spaetzle is a little German dumpling made from a simple, soft batter of flour, eggs, and liquid. Think of it somewhere between a noodle and a dumpling: tender, slightly chewy, and really good at soaking up whatever sauce you toss it with. It’s a classic side dish in German and Central European cooking, and while traditional methods can involve a spaetzle maker or some creative scraping, my version keeps things much easier—you just pipe the batter straight into the water.
My version uses buttermilk in place of regular milk for a little extra tang in the spaetzle that helps cut through the fattier sauces that it’s usually paired with. Also, when I first tested this recipe, I forgot to buy milk and only had buttermilk so it was a happy accident! This version also doesn’t mess around with spaetzle makers, colanders, cheese graters, etc. because there is nothing less fun than cleaning batter out of any of those apparatuses. ASK ME HOW I KNOW.
Helpful Cooking Tools
Key Spaetzle Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- All purpose flour. My favorite brand is King Arthur!
- Eggs. The batter is easiest to mix when the eggs are room temperature.
- Buttermilk. You can swap in regular milk, but the buttermilk adds great tang and texture to the spaetzle.
- Nutmeg. All you need is a tiny bit (freshly grated is best!) to add warmth.
- Dijon. The dijon also adds tons of flavor to the spaetzle.
- Butter. We lightly brown the butter before sautéing the spaetzle for extra flavor.
- Lemon and parsley. Finish your spaetzle with a bit of minced parsley and fresh squeezed lemon juice and it’s ready to serve!
How to Make Buttermilk Spaetzle Without Special Equipment
- Mix the batter. You really don’t need anything fancy here besides a good rubber spatula! Combine the flour, nutmeg, salt. and pepper in a mixing bowl and then mix in the eggs, buttermilk, and dijon. You’ll end up with a batter that is a bit thicker than pancake batter.
Jenny’s Tip: Use a heavy duty piping bag to pipe the spaetzle directly into simmering water! I keep a roll on hand in my pantry and they’re a life saver for all kinds of kitchen tasks. Alternately, you could use a heavy duty freezer ziplock bag.
- Pipe the batter into simmering, salted water. Secure the end of your piping bag and gently squeeze the batter in the water so that the pieces are about an inch and a half long. Let the spaetzle cook for about a minute or until they float and then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a baking sheet coated with a bit of olive oil.
- Pan fry the spaetzle. After all the spaetzle pieces are boiled, melt your butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Once the butter is turning golden brown and smells nice and nutty, add the spaetzle to the pan and let them brown a little on each side. Remove the pan from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and toss in a little parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon and you’re done!
What to Serve Spaetzle With
It would be very traditional to serve this buttermilk spaetzle up with my crispy pork schnitzel for the coziest fall dinner ever! You could also serve it with my chicken schnitzel for a bit of a lighter summer version! But you can really use spaetzle anywhere you use pasta or rice, so I love serving it with these special entrees:
- Roast Chicken Piccata
- Pretzel Crusted Chicken
- Red Wine Braised Beef Shanks
- Coq au Vin Blanc
- Cider Pork Chops
- Apple Cider Braised Chicken Thighs
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.
More Easy, Starchy Side Dishes
Cheesy Polenta
Herby Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes
Lentil Rice Pilaf
Loaded Corn Casserole
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Easy Buttermilk Spaetzle
Ingredients
- 2 scant cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsley leaves
- lemon wedges, for squeezing
Instructions
- Mix the batter. Mix the flour, nutmeg, eggs, buttermilk, dijon, salt, and pepper together until a thick batter forms. Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a large ziplock bag.
- Boil the spaetzle. Bring 3 quarts of water to a simmer and season with 1 tablespoon of salt. Cut a small hole at the end of the piping bag and pipe small pieces into the water (about an inch and a half long). Cook for 1 minute, or until the spaetzle float, and then use a slotted spoon to transfer the spaetzle to a baking sheet coated with a little olive oil. Repeat until all the batter has been used up. You can make spaetzle several days in advance, just toss the noodles with oil and store in an airtight container.
- Serve the spaetzle. Melt the butter in a skillet and just when the butter is turning golden brown, add the spaetzle to the pan. Cook for 1 minute per side, until slightly golden brown. Add the chopped parsley to the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with a squeeze of fresh lemon and serve right away.
Storage Instructions
- The spaetzle can be made and boiled in advance, just be sure to toss it with a bit of oil and store it in the fridge in a airtight container. Right before you plan to serve it, let it cook in the brown butter for a few minutes, until it's warmed through. To freeze: Place the boiled spaetzle on a baking sheet on parchment without any of the pieces touching. When they're frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer safe ziplock bag. They can be warmed from frozen, just add a couple of tablespoons or water or stock to the brown butter and cover the pan until the spaetzle are warmed through.
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